Amusement apparatus



July 18, 1933. G. E. PRuEssNER AMUSEMENT APPARATUS Filed April 18, 1932 II'III i m m M W M w ,M

m d m s rIntegral, July 18,1933* encuen EDWARD Pnnnssnnit,

on ciinslrniininnn, ivi'issonitr Application filed Apr1'-18,

rIhis invention relates to amusement applaratus, the subject mattei' of which is divided out of an original application for ,Letters Patent of the United States, Serial No.

566,185, filed October'1, 1931. The general-` object oflthe inventionisto produce va recre- 'ational apparatusfor users of all ages, butv children in particular, which the user derives not only mere amusement, but receives the benefit of exhilarating physical and gymnastic'exercise, thefpresent invention having lmore'particularly to do with thenovel coopscribed and 'the appended claims. I y. y,

` 1 drawing, forminga part of thisv speciication, and illustrating a erative arrangement of alswing and a taking off platform device or the-like in the combinai tion 'or combinations and arrangementy or ar- ;rangementsas hereinafter-more fully depointed out with particularity in In the accompanyi practical adaptationof the invention 1 is a .viewillustrating a swing .in cooperative relationto a taking off device in accordance with the invention, tlie'support- `ing frame for the swing beingshowii invertical longitudinal section and the swing itself and thev taking oli device being lshown inside elevation; and .Fig 2 is a `perspective View ofthe takii'ig off device alone. i l f Referring now tothe drawing, theV numeral `5 designates generally `a supporting frame for the swing, said frame comprising a yhorizontaltop cross `member 6' supported atitslend` on thesubstantial-ly A-shaped side rframe comprising Athe inclined leg members 7 and cross `brace member 8, it being, ofA course, understood that a similar sidefframe supportsthe oppositefendof thetop cross member 6. too, it is obviousthnt the leg members 7. may

bie bracedwitli respect tothe top crossl meni- ,ber 64 by diagonal braces, notr shown.

The particular `construction vof this lsupporting frame for theswing `does not in itselfconstitute any partfof the present invention, it being'understood, that the swing may be suspended from any othersuitable support. provided on the ceiling of aroom orfrom the limb of a tree or other .supporting arm. t The particular swing illustrated, and designated generally by the numeralQ, is vvof as single suspension type. That is to say, it

comprises la: singlesuspension member', prefl erablv a rope, iieiible wire cable, or chain, attached at its upper en d, `to the supporting i932, iseriijii. 505,835. i p l frame topy lcross'iinember 6 or oth-ersuitabler support, by'swivelV or universaly coupling 10. l As shown, said coupling 10 comprises an eyeV member 11 iirmly secured 'to the end l ofthe swing rope, cable, or' chain ASLand interen- 60 gaging `with universal `movement in `eye 12-v 4at therlower end of `a boltjl passed'upward- `ly-through,thetop cross-member Gfof the supporting frame andsecuredin 'place by cooperatingjam nuts 14 `on the .upper "end portionv of the bolt?.l AAt the lower end of the `swing member .9 is centrally attached-a-circular'disc-lile .seat member "15, and forga .f

considerable distance upwardly from the seatmemberlltheswing suspension member 9 iis covered by a tubular 'member 16vof-ru`b-- bei' or "other suitable flexible, land preferably y elastic, materialto provideja padded handf hol-d in convenient location to be grasped by the user. i and .to preventv injury" to :the`` peri son in mounting the seat member 15. Preferably, the'outer surface ofthe padded gripcoi'rugations,althoughfin some. cases, the surface `,may be relatively smooth, particularlyI when the member comprisesasection fof ordinaryrubberl garden hosefor similar .l

tubing;` v

The swing, as thus far described,"consti-fA tutes the inventive subject matter retained v,in the parentap-plication', Serial No. 566,185, v liereinbefore notedand from which the ypres- `ent invention is divided, and enters directly TYOK' fpingportion orhand hold 16 isroughened y somewhatyas by ,kml'flng 01" longitudinal l80 into the vpresentiinvei'ition only insofar as itrv cooperates with the taking `olf platform device or the "like, tobe now vrdescribied.`

' Obviously, in `some l cases, particularly in which `the jumportake olf is at all times veniently arranged 'and located rai'sedfsupi port or platformf .will` suiiice,` but, ac:-l

1 coi-dance with the present invention Aand the M `carrying into effect of one ofits principal objects* and advantages, ,it` is preferable to ,provide `a supporting frame or stand; with arcuate series yoi 1 steps, landings, or platforms,.at different elevations but all within the saine :range with' respectfto` the swing,

that is`r` they are substantially equidistant f from thefswing pivot, whereby the'userlmafy Y ,grasp the hand hold 16 in thesame manner atwhatever `elevation-he may be standing from 'one and `the sameglocatioinany con- Onthestakngfm `device and likewise jump 1101 j 1 au in'Fig. 1 .of the. drawing, andthe inner and mount the seat 15 of the swing from whatever elevation he may desire to take.

olf. As shown in the drawing2 for a particular adaptation of the invention, the tak- D ing olf device comprises a pair of Aarcuate side frame members 17, Vpreferably Vformed of a single metal barlor rod looped at its middle to aord an intermediate guard Vporion 1S at the top of the device, thelower v O end portions of said side members 17y beingy turneddownwardly, as at 19,v to aifordjsupporting feet for the lower inner portion of `the framejv i' f At intervals the arcuate 'side frame mem- Aattached lat theirY ends, as at 22, to arcuate connecting and supporting bars or rods 23. AtV opposite points above the topmost step member or platform 21 the .side frame Vmem- Ybers 17 have pivoted thereto,'as at l7211 thel angular,upper end portions25 of side mehr bers 26 of a. foldable supporting frame com-- prising said members 26 and the crossed. 30 brace members 27(see Fig. 2 of the draw? ing). The upper end portions .of the arcu- 4ate connecting and'supporting bars or rods f2?, are also hingedly attached, as at 2 8. to lie angular end'porti'ons 25 vof saidfoldable supporting frame members 26.

The curvature Yof the arcuate side frame members 17 `of the takingolf device is on a I yradius from the pivotal supporting aXis of the swing' element 9, and the device` isset fawith respect to the swing so that there is ample clearance between the seatmember 15 of the swing and the inner edges of the step ,members or platforms 21. For example, in an apparatus of a certain size the. pivotal 45. supporting aXis offthe swingelement 9 may be ten feet above'the ground or floor and the seatmember 15 at or about one foot above the kground or floorfwhen the swing element 9 is directly vertical, as illustrated in Vfull lines edge portions ofthe step members or platforms 21 of the taking off device are in an imaginaryfarcuate line approximately y' f; ten `inches from the bottom of the swing ,member-Q15 in its sweep rat full tautene 'length of the swing element 9, as illustrated bythe dotted lines in 1' of the drawing. *So,ftoo, when' the swingelement 9 is kinked and held tautened between thebend and the` ,60; pivotal aXisof the element, asin the further illustration by dotted-'lines Ain Fig. 1A of the `Vdrawing, which is the condition of the swingv I element when graspedA by the user when lstanding on one of the step members or platforms 21rof the taking oft1 device,fthe mar- ,f

y 2"g i i 1,918,559

v'ginalportion of the seat member 15 travels along'the same imaginary line as the bottom ofthe seat, as Abeforedesc'ribed.` -By this arcuate arrangement of the yseries of step vmembers or platforms 21 of thetaking off device Vit is obvious that saiddevice may be adjusted twith respect to the swing element 9,

so as to increase and decrease the clearance between the seat member 15yand'the inner I edge portionsof the step members 21, at will,

and the clearance between each and every one vof thestep members or platforms 21 and the arcuate line of sweep of theseat member y15 will be uniform, or substantially so, at whatever clearance forwhichthe deviceis'adj usted, and the adjustment is obviously yeffected by merely moving the tak-ing off device yin a horizontal or a vertical planeI only.

i That is toy say, in somey cases,`thetaking"oi1 device will be merely movedalong theground or floor with rrespect to the truly vertical pendent'ipo'sition of the swing; element 9,-

while, in yother cases,the vdevice may beraised and lowered bodily without shifting it from its vertical plane.

Vic@ fadiflllytOWmd and ffOmthe "Pivotal -supporting axis of the swingy element-K9.

Howeveigit is thebroad idea of the provision for equalclearance between the different step I members orfplatforms of the device andthe swing seat 15together with the broad idea ofiprovision for adjustment to vary the clearance and still maintain substantial uniformity in the same vwith respect to they several step members or platforms 21, kwhich` concerns vthe present invention, and, the particular method of eifecting the .adjustmenty being obvious as described," it Ais' deemed unnecessary to illustrate kdetails of any par-l ticularmeans of adjustment.

In using the apparatus the user mounts rIt is alsoobvious'that yprovision may be made for moving the deicor the takingoffdevice Vwhile holding onto they swing and leapsfrom one ofthevstep members or platforms 21j thereof, supporting himself bodily after leaping'by his grasp upon the p suspension element 9 of the swing, and while so holding onto the swing throws himself l upon the seat astride the lower part of the grasping. portionl.` The peculiarly inclined and preferably arcuate l arrangement of the series of step vmembers or platforms 21 is of special advantage in cooperation with the swing, particularly aswing vof the single suspension type with the circular-'disc-like seat as shown, in that the take 0H may be made withv the same facility from the elefvation of any one of thest'ep members or platforms and the .user receives ythe benefit vof the exhilarating physical exercise as well as the pleasure vof swinging', with muscular relaxation after his body has settled supportingly on the seatVK membervn 15. Invaddition tothe muscu-lar exertion in leaping from the taking' oy device-and easing his body 130 upon the swing seat member 15, the user may derive further beneficial exercise by changing his posture after settling himself upon the seat member 15, and also from the eXera cise occasioned in mounting thel steps of the taking off device. `Hence, from the foregoing it will be seen that thedevice is equally eicient for the pleasure and benefit of adults as well. as children and, obviously, may bev accordingly made in various sizes depending upon the particular use of theapparatus and the place where it is to be located, either in-l doors or outdoors.

vThe taking off device illustrated in the fac,-

companying drawing is, of course, foldable,.

but it is obvious that the device may be made non-foldable and 0f wood or other material instead of metal, or from a combination of materials and changed structurally in many particulars without Vin the least departing from thespirit and scope ofthe invention as defined by the appended claims. The invention, therefore, is' not limited to the s pecific construction and arrangement shown. l

Having thus described my invention, what "I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. The combination of a swing, and a taki ing off devicein cooperative relation to said swing, said taking rod device having a series of separate platformsV atdifferent elevations in stepped relation to each other and substantially equidistant from the pivot of the Swing. l. v

2.The combination ofa swing, and a `coloperative taking olf device comprising lanv within substantially the same radius from the pivot of said swing and with equal clearance between them and the seat in the arcuate sweep of the latter. y e 4. The combination ofva single suspension swing having a straddle seatat its lower end,

` and a cooperatively associated device comprising aninclinedly arranged series of su-4 perposed steps substantially equidistant from the pivot of said swing whereby to be mounted by theuser in reaching distance of the swingr from any step. y

5. The combination of a swing, and a cooperatively associated taking off device comprising a series of inclinedly and arcuately arranged superposed steps substantially 1 equidistant from the pivot of the swing.

6. The combination of a swing, and a cooperatively associated` taking off device, said l swing and taking `ofi device being relatively' ,adjustable in working relation to, each other,l

said takingoff device comprising an arcuate steppedv series of platforms substantially equidistant from the swing pivot. Y

'7. In van apparatus of thecharacter described, a supporting frame, a swing coin- `prising a `single suspension flexible element supported at its upperfend on said support-` ing frame for universal swinging movement,

.capi

a disc-likeseat centrally supported at lthe fr lower` end of said fieXible swing element, the

lower portion of said swing element in the `region of said seat beingfcovered with pad gripanda;

ding materialiaifording a hand cushion for that-'part of the users body con-v tactiiig therewith, anda portable taking off device coopei'able adjustablyV with respectv to said supporting frame in `workingrange of I said swing, said device comprising anun-` clined arcuate series of superposed steps equidistaiit from the swing pivot. Y

8. The combination of a swing, anda co i 4operatively .associatedportable and collapsi-` bletaking offl device comprising an inclined series. of `foldably` supported platforms ar-v ranged. instepped superposed relationfthe forward marginal portions ofsaid lplatforms ibeing coincident with an arcuate` line on a radius from the swing` pivot `whereby `the several steps are mountable by the userwith.- 1*

in equal reaching distance of the swing.l '9. In an apparatusof the character described, asupporting frame,a single suspension swing element universally swingably supported froml said frame',l a straddle seat L at the lower endof said vswing element, th- Y. lower v'portion of said swingelement in thef regionof` said seatbeing constructedto `afford arhand grip, and a takingofl' device cooperatively associated with saidsupportingframe and comprising a stepped series of platforms with their forward. edge portions `coincident with "an arcuate line ona radius Afrom the swing pivot wherebytheswing 1s inequal reaching'distance of theluser fromany one of the platforms.

l0. In an apparatus of-the character de.

scribed, a supporting frame, a single suspenn sion swing element universally swingably supported from said frame,a straddle seat at the lower end of said swing element, the lower portion of said swing elementin the region of saidseat being constructedto af` jf ford a hand grip,`land a portable taking off device positionable adjustably incooperative' relation to said supporting frame,said device l comprising an arcuately'y arrangedl stepped se riesof superposed platforms,` the forward;y edges of said platformsy being .equidistantgyfrom the swing pivot. z e a GEORGE EDWARDPRESSNER-, 

